Two-hand touch

Wednesday

Oct 13, 2010 at 12:01 AMAug 15, 2012 at 11:16 AM

SEAN KERNAN, Staff writer

DAYTONA BEACH -- When it comes to bowling, two hands are better than one for Mainland's Cody McCowin.

Ever since the day his grandpa Bill Snider first put Cody on a Bellair Lanes alley as a young child and had him give the ball a two-handed shove down the lane, he's always used two hands to roll a bowling ball.

Over the years, McCowin developed his own two-handed bowling style, increasing velocity on his throws as he's grown.

"I developed it on my own," said McCowin, the area's top boys bowler. "I never had any lessons."

McCowin is the local poster boy for two-handed bowling. He employs the powerful, aggressive style and the ball explodes the pocket.

"You get a lot more revolutions on the ball and pin action in the pocket," said McCowin, who leads the area with a 227 average, 12 pins more than the next-best bowler. He also shares the single-game high score this season at 289 with two others -- Mainland teammate Mathew Green and Logan Jones of Spruce Creek -- and has the highest three-game series at 756.

McCowin has seen a few other bowlers coming up through the high school ranks who have turned to the two-handed method.

"There are other two-handed bowlers starting to come around," McCowin said, although he's the only local high school bowler enjoying such a high level of success using the unconventional style. "I think it's going to keep on growing."

One reason for the increasing popularity of the two-handed style is professional bowler Jason Belmonte. The Australian has become one of the most popular bowlers in the world and his appearances on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour have generated a much-needed buzz for the sport.

"He's my idol," said McCowin, the 2009 News-Journal Boys Bowler of the Year. "I try to watch him as much as I can."

Video of Belmonte bowling serves another purpose for McCowin, who watches to see if he can pick up any technical points that will help him. There are few two-handed bowlers out there and fewer coaches familiar with that style.

"To be honest, I don't even try to coach him (on technique)," said Mainland coach Pat Monahan, whose background is with the traditional one-handed bowling style.

McCowin turns to friend R.J. Ackerman, who was an assistant for Mainland last year, and his grandfather when it comes to getting technique advice.

The 17-year-old senior has his long-term goals set. He wants to bowl on the collegiate level at a prestigious program such as Nebraska or Wichita State. Then he wants to make a living bowling.

"I want to take it all the way to the PBA (Tour)," McCowin said.

For now, it's near-term goals that are foremost on his mind. The recent death of his grandmother, Linda Snider, prompted the Buccaneers' leader to make a statement to the team.

Repeating as Florida's high school state champions has been the team's goal from Day One of this season, but after McCowin's grandmother succumbed to cancer last week there are emotions behind the words.

"I told my team that we have to win district and state for my grandma, because she was always there to watch me bowl before she got really, really sick," McCowin said.